ebXML Architecture Anne Thomas Manes Sun Microsystems OReilly Conference on Java, March 29, 2001

Disclaimer The ebXML specifications are not complete. The details articulated in this presentation are subject to change. The final specifications will be compete in May 2001.

Agenda What is ebXML? Architecture Overview Architecture Details SOAP and UDDI Roadmap How to get involved

What is ebXML ebXML = Electronic Business XML Global Standard for electronic business ebXML enables anyone, anywhere to do business with anyone else over the Internet Specifically designed to support SME Complementary to existing B2B initiatives (UDDI, RosettaNet, TradeXchange, etc.) An end-to-end B2B XML Framework

Sponsored by … UN/CEFACT (United Nations Center For Trade Facilitation And Electronic Business) (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) Hundreds of participants from all over the world Businesses, governments, academia, institutions

ebXML Vision A global electronic market place where enterprises of any size, anywhere can: –Find each other electronically –And conduct business Using XML messages According to standard business process sequences With clear business semantics According to standard or mutually agreed trading partner protocol agreements Using off the shelf purchased business applications

B2B Collaboration B2B collaboration requires more than just an XML protocol and a service registry You have to deal with –Business semantics –Negotiating terms and conditions –Interoperability –Security and Privacy –Reliability ebXML provides concrete specifications to enable dynamic B2B collaborations

ElectronicBusinessCollaboration Process Definition Partner Discovery Partner Sign-Up Electronic Plug-in Process Execution Process Management Process Evolution B2B Collaboration Process

ebXML Specifications ElectronicBusinessCollaboration Process Definition Partner Discovery Partner Sign-Up Electronic Plug-in Process Execution Process Management Process Evolution Business Process, Core Components Collaboration Protocol Agreement Business Service Interface Message Service, Business Service Interface Business Process Management Process Reengineering Registry/ Repository Collaboration Protocol Profile

ebXML Architecture Registries/ Repositories Core/Industry Components Business Documents CP Agreement Design Time Business Process Collaboration Protocol Profile Transport Package Business Service Interface Business Services/Apps Runtime Business Service Interface Business Services/Apps XML based: XMI, Specification Schema, Document Schemas Register & Discover

Query about Company X Request Company Xs Scenario DO BUSINESS! Company Xs Scenario Company Xs Profile Submit CPA Accept CPA Usage Example INDUSTRY INPUT ebXML BP Model ebXML BO Library ebXML BP Model ebXML BO Library Request ebXML specifications 1 ebXML specifications detail 3 2 Build local system implementation Register scenarios and implementation details Register company business profile Confirm profile and scenarios accepted Scenarios Profiles Specifications

Company Profile Collaboration Protocol Profile –Defined using ebXML Specification Schema –Concrete specification of your ebusiness offerings Business scenarios you support Service interfaces you implement Document formats exchanged Technical requirements/options (protocols, security, reliability) Composed of –Business process models –Information models –Context rules

Business Scenarios Often defined by Industry Groups –Standard business scenarios remove the need for prior agreements among trading partners Business Process Model –Interactions between parties –Sequencing of interactions –Documents exchanged in each interaction Information Model –Document definition –Context definition –Context rules

Core Components Reusable low-level data structures –e.g., party, address, phone, date, currency –Context-sensitive Single, consistent lexicon Used to define business process and information models Facilitates interoperability between disparate systems

Context Affects Process Industry Sector Product Business process Geo-political region Official constraints –Legislative –Standards –Good practice –Contractual

Business Process Collaboration Transaction... Transaction Collaboration Business Process Create Long Term Contract Forecast Component Requirements Send Planning Document Place Order Ship Materials Customer Arrange Payment Supplier

ebXML Specification Schema Business Transaction Business Collaboration Request Document Response Document Roles Partner Types Business Process Business Transaction Execution Patterns Choreography TransitionGuard Process Composition

BP and Info Modeling Architecture Registry Conversion to XML XML BP-DTDXML Info-DTD Model-XML Rules XML BP-doc Conversion to XML XML Info-doc Information Modeling Info-Metamodel Info-model Methodology Content Patterns BP-Metamodel BP-model Methodology Content Patterns Business Process Modeling

Conversion of UML Models to XML Business process definitions XML Schema and DTD generation Populate classification scheme XML Schema XMI (MOF.DTD) Transformation Rules XML Process Definition Populate Classification Scheme

Traditional Classification Scheme Taxonomies Industry HealthCareAutomotive Retail Geography USAJapanEurope Ford:object Chevy:object Toyota:object Nissan:object BMW:object

Registering Your Business Register your business in an ebXML Registry –Index to all information in the repository –Rich query facility Store specifications in an ebXML Repository –CPP –Schemas –Process models –Core components –Classification and categorization schemes –Arbitrary objects and code

ebXML Reg/Rep ebXML Registry and Repository –Registry = index of things –Repository = holder of things Distributed model Nodes maintained by –Industry groups –Market places –Exchanges –Communities –Individual companies

Negotiating an Agreement Find registry and search for partners Examine CPP Ascertain compatibility of business process and technical specifications Stipulate your rules of engagement Produce Collaboration Protocol Agreement –Conditions under which two partners will conduct business transactions together

CP Agreement Formation Cooperative Protocol Profile 1 Cooperative Protocol Profile 2 Rules of Engagement Cooperative Partner Agreement Negotiate two Cooperative Protocol Profiles Party 1 queries and discovers Party 2 Party 1 proposes rules of engagement Sends CPA to Party 2 for review and acceptance

Collaborative Protocol Agreement Agreement for business interaction between two parties –Technical specifications: Message Service requirements Application requirements –References: CPPs Legal terms and conditions

Business Service Interface Implements the CPA, supporting dynamic integration Not yet specified –Hand-crafted for the moment Enables one Party to converse with the other Party using the ebXML Message Service

ebXML Message Service Reliable, secure XML messaging service –Enforces the rules of engagement in CPA Transport independent Extends SOAP Messages with Attachments (SwA) –Reliability framework –Security framework –Manifest, trace, and delivery options

Delivery Options Communications models –Synchronous or asynchronous –Request/response –Fire and forget –Multipart message delivery Reliability options: –Best effort –Once and only once

Security Identification Authentication Authorization Privacy Integrity Non-repudiation Logging

ebXML Message Structure Communication Protocol Envelope (HTTP, SMTP, etc.) SOAP Messages with Attachments MIME Envelope MIME Part SOAP-ENV:Envelope SOAP-ENV:Header eb:MessageHeader eb:TraceHeaderList Other:etc… SOAP-ENV:Body eb:Manifest eb:etc… Other:etc… Payload Message Package Header Container Payload Container(s) ebXML Header Information ebXML Message Service Handler control data

Summary of Components Registry and Repository Core Components ebXML Specification Schema –Business Process Model –Information Model CPP/CPA Message Service

SOAP and UDDI Obviously useful, but they dont constitute an end-to-end B2B framework No support for business models or negotiating business agreements No Quality of Service facilities Complementary not competitive to ebXML –SOAP provides messaging foundation –UDDI helps you find ebXML services –ebXML Repository stores service specifications

ebXML Timetable Sept 1999ebXML Commissioned -- Canberra Nov 1999First Meeting – San Jose May 2000Requirements document -- Brussels Nov 2000Message Service beta - Tokyo Feb 2001Technical Architecture - Vancouver Mar 2001All specs in review May 2001All specs released - Vienna

ebXML Summary Worldwide project to standardize the exchange of electronic business data XML-based infrastructure to enable consistent, secure, and interoperable message exchange Supported by hundreds of industry consortia, standards bodies, companies, and individuals from around the world

ebXML Changes the Future Out-of-the-box technical interoperability Unambiguous commercial interoperability –Explicitly specified and executable business processes Service-based business process architecture Enable the evolution of many new business models and patterns

Resources ebXML Participation & Mailing Lists –Open to everyone – ebXML Specifications –